Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-31

Chief Seaport-Prior to IsoO-Halcyon
Times.
see that about ). 600 foreign vessels ar
rived at the port of New York last year
The total number of foreign and domestic
vessels that arrived here in 1886 is esti-
mated at 80 900 The Hebrew prophet,
Ezekiel. breaks into fervid elOquence in
celebrating the commercial splendOr of the
great emporium of ., 800 years ago. Tyre,
with its multitude of ships and its traffic
in gold, purple and ivory, the wine of
HelbOn, silver, cassia, white wool and
precious stones; but what was Tyre,
though it was a merchant Of the people
for many isles" and traded with Judah
and the land of Israel, Arabia, Sheba and
the princes of Kedar, cOmps red to this
lions whelp of the western world, New
York.
Hither comes the gold of Europe, the
opium, coffee and precious gums Of the
orient, the altar of roses from Turkey, the
precious stones of far-Of mines, the fruits
of Sicily, France and spain, the rich silks
of Lyons, the wines of Bordeaux, the fine
linen of Belfast, the bananas, cocoanuts,
oranges and sugar of the West Indies, the
tin of Cornwall and Malacca, the tea, cas-
sia and Camphor Of Marco Polo'S Far
Cathay," the spices of Zanzibar and Cey-
lon, and, in a word, all the rich products
of the earth. And they come, for the most
part, in great steamers, compared to
which the ships of Syria and Phenicia
would seem little larger than the ordinary
lighter in the harbOr of New York.
UNDER A FOREIGN FLAG.
In 1885 some 5000 vessels, carrying a
foreign flag, came TO New York. The
number has decreased since then, because
steamers are driving nut sailing craft, and
one voyage of a good iZed steamer is equal
to half a dozen or more of the average
sailing vessel Most OF the vessels leaving
here for foreign ports 90 TO Great Britain,
Germany, France, Italy and the West
Indies, though many go to remote parts in
Asia and Africa. Most of the vessels in
the foreign trade are owned abroad. For
several years no American craft carried
grain TO foreign marts. American vessels
take considerable petroleum to various
parts of the world, but there is this disad-
vantage in that branch of traffic, that
vessel once given up to the petroleum trade
is never thereafter suitable for any other
New York has always been the chief
seaport of the United States, owing to its
the Hudson river penetrates to a near
range of mountains without falls, rapids
or other distractions 10 navigation. Prior
to 1900, vessels went to Europe at no
stated time, as there were no regular
lines and they sailed only when they had
secured a cargo. Passengers were thus
often obliged 10 wait many weeks for q
ship to sail. The discomfOrtS of a pas
sage to and from England were almost
uncomfortable. DR.. Johnson, the famous
English mOralist and photographer, des-
cribed ship as worse than u prison be-
cause the accommodations were equally
unsatisfactory, while there was the addi-
tiOnal danger of being shipwrecked or
drowned. At the beginning of the pres
ent century the usual size of a seaworthy
ship was about that Of the Erie canal
boat of to-day, that is, from 100 to $50
tons. \ vessel of 300 tons was considered
q marine monster. The passenger on the
ocean in the early part of the century.
moreover, ran risk unknown at the pres
ent day, namely, the danger Of capture
by pirates, though this evil was then
dying out. Piracy, however, was not
completely suppressed in the north Allan
tic until the second quarter Of the present
century, and the passenger on the early
American vessels in the days of Adams,
jefferson and Madison might see an
ominous craft bearing down upon his ship,
run up the black flag and compel the
peaceable trader to surrender.
FIRST DAYS o. STEAMERS.
The steamers began TO come to New
York about 1910. D.. Dionysius Lard
ner, an eminent English scientist, had
demonstrated to the satisfaction of the
multitude the absolute impossibility of a
steamer crossing the Atlantic on the as
sumption that no vessel could carry coal
enough for the trip. In the first days of
the steamers i: took about three weeks to
cross to London; in 1859 the time was
fifteen days; by 1860 it had been reduced
to thirteen days; now the trip is some
times made in little less than seven
days. The early Collins and Cunard
steamers were from 200 to 2, 500 tons in
size; ROW the steamers plying between
here and Liverpool arc from 600 to 1000
tons capacity, and they are twice Us long
in proportion to their width as formerly.
They are the greyhOundS OF the ocean.
The days Of the old packets and clip
parS were the haIcyOn times of American
shipping. The old time captain was an
autocrat. He was the absolute master of
his vessel and Of every man on board of
her. lie often received a salary of S., 900
q year, winch was very handsome
emoluncnt in those days-say from 1880
to 1SJJ-and the captains were generally
wealthy. Tnc captains Of the great L4iv-
erpool passenger steamers now receive
only %, 800 year, and those in command
of the German steamers only s., 200. The
Old clipper ships were the especial pride
of Americans The stately ships, how
ever, that once traded with Liverpool,
Havre, Canton and hundred other ports
have had TO give way to that wonderful
creation of human ingenuity, the modern
steamer, and the day Is not far distant
when the sailing craft will be stranger
TO the high seas.-New York Cor. Kansas
City Times.